Boot or shoe stretcher



(No Model.)

A La-GREEN. BOOT 0R SHOE STRETGHER.

Patented July 7, 1896.

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E NuHms PETERS oo.. PH WASHINGTON u c UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE'.

JOHN OfGREEN, OFPEORIA, ILLINOIS.

BOOT OR SHOE STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,588, dated July 7, 1896. Application filed February 29, 1896. Serial No. 581,339. v(No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN O. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot or Shoe Stretchers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to boot and shoe stretchers, and its object is to provide an implement capable of stretching any one part of the boot or shoe or all parts at one time. Heretofore stretchers of this character have been constructed in a manner which would permit only of all parts being stretched at once.

In the drawings presented herewith, Figure l is a side view of one half of the stretcher, showing the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stretcher, showing the two halves hinged together at the rear ends, and also showing a portion of one of the halves broken away to show the interior. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the stretcher through line o: Fig. l. Fig. 4.- is a perspective view of a portion of a thread-bar with a spreaderblock thereon and guide-wires.

A and A represent the two halves of the device, and B is a thread-bar placed longitudinally therein and held against a rearward movement by a guard-piece C, secured to said bar. This guard bears against a division-Wall a within the stretcher halves.

The thread-bar B is provided with a right and left hand thread hand c, respectively, which are cut on either side of the said guardpiece C. The forward end of said bar carries a spreader-block D, while a raising-block E, having an inclined upper surface e, as shownin Fig. l, is carried on the portion of the thread-bar rearwardly of the guard-piece C and wall ct.

The block D is provided with holes at f, through each of which passes a wire g, which, as shown in Fig. 2, are looped at the ends around pins h. This serves to hold the stretcher together at the forward end, the hinges at the back serving to hold the rearward ends in place.

Fig. 2, in plan, shows the position ofthe spreader-block with reference to the form of the inner walls of the halves A and A. y

Now by turning the thread-bar B to the right by means y'of' the handle (not shown) the block D 'will be'carried forward and will bear against and open the halves A' and A at the forward end. A toe-stretcher F is provided, which may be inserted in the forward extremity by grooves t'. The said toe-piece F extends some distance within the device and is forced forwardly by the block\D. This part F may or may not be used, according to the particular work in hand. .If it is desired to force the part F forward before the block D spreads the halves, it is only necessary to place a washer or like article over the threadbar against the block D and the effect is produced.

Returning now to the block E, before mentioned, it maybe said that by the same direction of movement of the thread-bar as used for the block D the said block E is moved rearwardly by the reverse thread, already mentioned, and as this movement is produced the inclined surface c thereof forces an instepstretcher G, which rests thereon, upwardly. The said instep-piece Gis made with a bevel vsimilar to the block E, as shown, and its upper surface may be provided with one or more movable bunions j. A guide pin or extension lo, attached to the block E, enters a groove Z in the solid metal of the heel of the device and serves two purposes: first, to keep the block F. in its proper upright position, and, secondly, to operate a heel-stretcher, to be described.

The heel-stretcher just referred to consists of a plate H, having a guide-pin m made therewith, which enters the above-described groove Z and meets the said pin or guide 7c of the block E. The pin m of the heel-stretcher H maybe shortened, so that the pin k of the block E will not reach and move the heelstretcher until the halves A and A have separated somewhat, and by this means the width of the shoe may be stretched before the heel is affected, or by inserting a plug between the two pins k and m the length of the shoe may be affected before the width is changed.

The dotted lines c' z in Fig. 2 show the position of the halves A and A' when spread- IOC of removable bunions on the sides of thev stretcher.

The utility of this device is now fully uny derstood.

It should be noted that the toe-stretcher, instep-stretcher, and heel-stretcher may all be removed or any one of them used Without the remainder oi the device having any effect on the other portions of the shoe being stretched.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-n 1. ln a boot and shoe stretcher, the combination of the halves A and A hinged together at their rear en ds, a thread-bar located therein and having a right and a left hand thread portion, a spreader-block.mounted on one of the said thread portions, an incline block mounted upon the other thread portion, a removable to'e-stretcher located in the forward end of the stretcher and operated by the said spreader-block, an instep-stretcher located within the device and operated by the said incline block, a heel-stretcher located in the rear of the device and operated by said incline block and all working together or separately, substantially as set forth and described. p t

2. In a boot and shoe stretcher, the combination of the two halves A A hinged at their rear ends, a division-Wall formed within said halves, a thread-bar having a guardpiece C, located within said stretcher, a right- ,hand thread cut on said thread-bar, a lefthand thread cut on said bar, a spreader-block on said left-hand thread portion for spreading the halvesA A', a toe-stretcher located in the forward portion of the stretcher and operated by the said spreader-block, an inclino block carried on the right-hand thread portion and provided with a guide-pin to enter the heel of the stretcher, a heel-stretcher entering the said heel and operated by the pin of the said incline block, and an instepstretcher operated by said incline block, all operating in conjunction or separately, substantially as described and shown.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. GREEN. lVitnesses:

C; JOHNSON, A. KEITHLEY. 

